Olympic High volunteers serve up holiday cheer along with free meals

Olympic High volunteer Keelin Balzaretti serves a Thanksgiving meal to Ralph Soper of Port Orchard at the Olympic High DECA club's annual Outreach Dinner.
(Steve Zugschwerdt / Special to the Kitsap Sun)

BREMERTON - For some who attended Olympic High School's annual Outreach Dinner on Tuesday, the free Thanksgiving meal meant a lot more than simply leaving with a full stomach.

The hot meal boosted their spirits and filled them with memories of happier times.

"I loved the turkey. It reminded me of my childhood and the time my dad smoked his last turkey," Ruben Holt of Bremerton said while eating his second serving at the downtown Bremerton Eagles hall. "Taking that bite almost made me cry."

Like most of the people who attended, the 49-year-old Holt lives on a lean budget — $674 per month from Social Security.

He manages by taking advantage of free meals wherever he can find them. Since moving to Washington in 1990, he's never missed the outreach dinner.

About 100 students and a handful of teachers from Olympic High helped out at the event, in its 23rd year. On the table for this year's feast were 40 turkeys, 14 hams, 60 pies and 150 pounds of potatoes, said DECA adviser Laurie Shaw.

A little before doors opened at 10 a.m., the scene already looked much different from last year, when a bitter winter storm left many people stranded and unable to get a meal, Shaw said.

But two hours into this year's event, volunteers had already served 1,500 dinners, well into its anticipated 2,000 meals.

First-time attendee Rosie Tarver of Port Orchard said the sincerity of the volunteers made her cry.

"It's really rare to see teenagers show the kind of care and compassion like they did today," said Tarver, who lined up outside St. Vincent de Paul in Bremerton's Charleston neighborhood Tuesday to get her free Thanksgiving basket.

Ron Cochrell, former Olympic High DECA adviser who helped establish the first dinner, said he's noticed younger attendees throughout the years.

"There's a different milieu right now. I see a lot more families and children in here than in the past," Cochrell said.

Personal interaction and appreciation was one of the main goals of this year's dinner, senior Jessica Hansen said.

"Not many (students) have interaction with the homeless. A lot of them think people who are homeless choose it. But half of the population doesn't have a job and most of them are trying," said Hansen, who volunteers at Bremerton Rescue Mission once a week.

After eating, attendees stocked up on basic household goods collected through fundraisers at Brownsville and Woodlands elementaries.

Volunteers from Harrison Medical Center, the Navy and the Rotary Club of East Bremerton also helped out at the event.

After taking a drink of her soda, Tarver said she was amazed at the number of resources Kitsap County had for the low-income and homeless population.

"It really boosts community morale to have so many resources. I'm from San Diego, where they would feed the homeless once a week. But to be here and have all of this is really great," Tarver said.

Holiday meal sites

Low-cost or free meals around Kitsap County continue through the Thanksgiving holiday. Below is a list of them. If you know of one that's not listed here, email information to sunnews@kitsapsun.com.